Massage roller



June 16, 1942. J. L. WENTZ 2,286,324

MASSAGE ROLLER Filed Jan. 18, 1941 INVENTOR i B'Y v ATT Y Patented June16, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MASSAGE ROLLER Jere L. Wentz,Passaic, N. J.

Application January 18, 1941, Serial No. 374,962

2 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in massage rollers.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and useful device formassaging the human body; a further object of the invention is toprovide a massage roller which is adapted for rubbing the surface of thehuman body; a further object of the invention is to provide a device ofthe character described having rotatable parts which may be retarded byfrictional means; a further object of the invention is to provide newand useful means for causing the rotating massage members to drag. Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view of the device, partlyin section, and

Figure 2 is a section of the same on the line 22 in Figure 1.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts, throughout theseveral views.

The improved massage device illustrated in the drawing, comprises ashaft I which carries a plurality of freely rotatable rollers or balls2, preferably of sponge rubber or like soft yielding material. On thefree ends of the shaft I there are handles or grips 3 Within which theshaft l rotates and is also freely moveable longitudinally.

The handles 3 may be provided with peripheral ridges 4 to formconvenient finger holds.

The outward movement of the handles or grips 3 on the shaft I may belimited by means of stops 5 provided adjacent to the ends of the shaftl. A split ring in a peripheral groove in the shaft l forms a convenientstop, as shown in the drawing.

The inner end portion of the handles 3 may be flared or broadened as at6, to provide a greater bearing surface for frictional contact with therollers or balls 2 when the handles 3 are pressed against the saidballs.

The rollers 2 may be of such form and shape as may be desired but Iprefer to use spherical balls as shown.

The device being assembled as above described, the handles 3 are graspedmanually by the operator and the rollers 2 are moved over the part to betreated of the body, such pressure being applied as conditionsmaywequire or as may be desired. When it is desired to apply a rubbingaction or to combine a rolling and rubbing contact, the handles 3 arepressed toward each other whereby the rollers 2 are frictionally engagedby the ends of the. said handles and the rollers are caused to drag.This action may be graduated, increased or diminished, by suitablevariation in the pressure so applied to the rollers by the handles andthe optimum result attained.

The advantages of thus applying a rubbing action in combination withroller massage will be apparent to oneskilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rollerhaving a convex face, a shaft rotatably seated in the said roller,handle members on the outer ends of the said shaft and moveable thereonagainst the said roller, the inner faces of the said handle membersbeing concave to fit against the convex face of the said roller, andstop means for said handle members on the ends of the said shaft.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rollerhaving a convex face, a shaft rotatably seated in the said roller,handle members on the outer ends of the said shaft and moveable thereonagainst the said roller, the inner faces of the said handle membersbeing concave to fit against the convex face of the said roller.

JERE L. WENTZ.

